Yanukovych: Ukraine grateful to Azerbaijan for assistance in difficult situations

Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych has said he appreciates the friendly attitude of Azerbaijan and its leadership towards Ukraine and the Ukrainian people.

"We are very grateful to the Azerbaijani president for respecting Ukraine, the Ukrainian people... and of course, we were very impressed with this," he said at the beginning of expanded Ukrainian-Azerbaijani talks in Kyiv on Monday.

Yanukovych said that Azerbaijan, as a friendly country to Ukraine, supports it in difficult situations. In particular, he noted how the Azerbaijani president had decided to grant Ukraine exclusive conditions for oil supply.

"In fact, we then saved energy and agriculture. This, of course, cannot be forgotten," he said.

He again congratulated Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev on his "brilliant victory" in the presidential elections and wished him good health, enthusiasm and energy.

"I wish stability and prosperity to the friendly people of Azerbaijan," Yanukovych said.

He said that during a bilateral meeting with his Azerbaijani counterpart the sides decided to hear during the negotiations, first and foremost, the co-chairs of commissions and the presidential council.

Aliyev, in turn, said that the sides would also hear reports by concerned ministers "to outline further ways of development and sum up the results of what has been done."